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* the glass factory. *
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.^«\*$&@## several centuries after it had last ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# belonged to us, we went on an outing to #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ the glass factory that bore our family @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& name. it had changed owners many times &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ since our ancestors death, and then $*\«^.....
......^«\* stood abandoned for a long while. *\«^......
.......^«\ finally, the natural end station for \«^.......
........^« the buildings that survive: a museum, «^........
.........^ and a gift shop. ^.........
.......... ..........
.........^ there's a long time since my family ^.........
........^« made anything. by many, we would be «^........
.......^«\ considered poor. \«^.......
......^«\* *\«^......
.....^«\*$ there are two main factory buildings, $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& domed things of several floors, made in &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ yellow brick. large but narrow windows, @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# reminescent of some cathedral. #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## custom-made glass, of course, large and ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# leaded, and ashen. a bit too dark to be #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ practical. on the eastern building, @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& some are shattered. &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ $*\«^.....
......^«\* the other one is publicly open. there's *\«^......
.......^«\ a museum, with wax figures of my great \«^.......
........^« great great grandfather, or something. «^........
.........^ various tools (or replicas) laid out on ^.........
.......... tables, with explaining texts. a lot of ..........
.........^ glass of varying thickness. ^.........
........^« «^........
.......^«\ ** \«^.......
......^«\* ** ** *\«^......
.....^«\*$ ««««««« * * ««««««« $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& ** ** &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ ** @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## i quickly sneak out, and climb into the ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# other building. the contrast is #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ overwhelming. it must have stood @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& derelict for a long time, windows &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ broken, metallic trash and pools of $*\«^.....
......^«\* dark glass all over the floor. no *\«^......
.......^«\ electric lights, but i can see by the \«^.......
........^« light that shines in wherever the dark «^........
.........^ windows are missing a pane. ^.........
.......... ..........
.........^ however, the greatest difference is the ^.........
........^« higher floors: this building has none. «^........
.......^«\ it is one massive hall, stretching away \«^.......
......^«\* infinitely above me. somewhere up there *\«^......
.....^«\*$ is some great iron latticework, from $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& where chains are suspended, and parts &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ of machinery has been falling down. @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## there is, in the middle of the great ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# hall, a thin spiral staircase that #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ leads up there. i sneak over there, and @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& take a few reluctant steps. after just &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ a revolution, i notice that for each $*\«^.....
......^«\* step the building starts to glow, the *\«^......
.......^«\ bricks turning a dark red, and then \«^.......
........^« orange, all the piled up debree being «^........
.........^ lit from behind. ^.........
.......... ..........
.........^ i stop ready to run down and out, but ^.........
........^« there's someone else on the staircase «^........
.......^«\ with me now, pressed close. he's \«^.......
......^«\* looking like me, short hair and thin *\«^......
.....^«\*$ arms, but with ears from some animal, $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& and more disturbingly, completely made &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ of dark liquid glass. @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## ** ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# ** ** #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ ««««««« * * ««««««« @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& ** ** &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ ** $*\«^.....
......^«\* *\«^......
.......^«\ my fear holds me in place while he \«^.......
........^« starts operating levers and dials set «^........
.........^ in the center of the staircase. slowly, ^.........
.......... it starts spinning, circling upwards. ..........
.........^ it's an elevator! i start to run ^.........
........^« downwards, but now the liquid boy «^........
.......^«\ creature grabs hold of me. i try to \«^.......
......^«\* shake him off, but he's too strong, and *\«^......
.....^«\*$ pulls me back up beside him. $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ this time, i turn angry instead. what @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# the hell? who is this guy, acting like #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## this? i reach out my free arm and slam ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# a random lever. some metal bar is #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ suddenly released between us, hitting @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& him on the arm, forcing my release. i &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ shove him off of me, and he falls into $*\«^.....
......^«\* the levers, messing them up. *\«^......
.......^«\ immediately, a thin rusty chainmail \«^.......
........^« curtain is dropped around me. but the «^........
.........^ elevator also speeds up significantly. ^.........
.......... ..........
.........^ the walls are flaring now, yellow, ^.........
........^« white, almost blue. i close my eyes and «^........
.......^«\ curl into a ball. but then, the glass \«^.......
......^«\* boy screams, a piercing sound that *\«^......
.....^«\*$ forces my eyes back open. i watch as he $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& becomes too liquid, his body pooling &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ down in his now massive tail, and the @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# tip of it suddenly breaks of in a glass #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## drop that falls toward the factory ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# floor. #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& he's crawling on the stairs, unable to &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ keep his body upright. can't reach the $*\«^.....
......^«\* levers, claws at my chainmail cage, *\«^......
.......^«\ while his body is turning into dark \«^.......
........^« pearls. finally, he's lost too much of «^........
.........^ himself and the scream is cut short. ^.........
.......... the last of him rains down. ..........
.........^ ^.........
........^« i still can't reach the levers from «^........
.......^«\ within my cage. looking up, i try to \«^.......
......^«\* make out the ceiling, but it's all a *\«^......
.....^«\*$ whirling sea of colours. below me glows $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& the hellfire of the factory walls, but &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ very faint. i sit down, curl back up, @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# become still. #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# ** #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ ** ** @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& ««««««« * * ««««««« &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ ** ** $*\«^.....
......^«\* ** *\«^......
.......^«\ \«^.......
........^« a large clunk shakes my entire body, «^........
.........^ and snaps me back into reality. i'm ^.........
.......... back at the factory floor, but the ..........
.........^ stairs are still moving slightly, ^.........
........^« clicking in place, carrying me the last «^........
.......^«\ few centimeters. i came from below, \«^.......
......^«\* somehow. the chainmail is retracted, *\«^......
.....^«\*$ and i slowly dismount the stairs. $*\«^.....
....^«\*$& &$*\«^....
...^«\*$&@ shaking and crying, i make my way over @&$*\«^...
..^«\*$&@# the factory floor, wading through dark #@&$*\«^..
.^«\*$&@## glass marbles. a quick glance down, and ##@&$*\«^.
..^«\*$&@# i see there's something faint inside #@&$*\«^..
...^«\*$&@ them. embryos? are these eggs? @&$*\«^...
....^«\*$& &$*\«^....
.....^«\*$ i shudder, and climb back out. $*\«^.....
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